The Optical Waveguide Solar Energy System Used for. Hydrogen Reduction of JSC-1 and Ilmenite (1996). SBIR Phases I and II supported by NASA/JSC:.
Physical Sciences Inc.
VG09-193
Solar Thermal Power System for Oxygen Production from Lunar Regolith Takashi Nakamura and Benjamin K. Smith Physical Sciences Inc. Pleasanton, CA AIAA Space 2009 Conference and Exposition 14-17 September 2009 Pasadena, CA
Physical Sciences Inc.
20 New England Business Center
Andover, MA 01810
Solar Thermal System for Oxygen Production from Lunar Regolith
Physical Sciences Inc.
Concentrator Array
Optical Waveguide Cable
VG09-193-1
High Intensity Solar Thermal Power
Lunar Regolith
Oxygen Thermochemical Processing H-3796a
• • • •
Transmission of high solar flux via flexible optical waveguide Scale up by incremental increase of concentrator units Transportable and deployable on the lunar surface Multi-use for a variety of oxygen production processes
The Optical Waveguide Solar Energy System Used for Hydrogen Reduction of JSC-1 and Ilmenite (1996) Physical Sciences Inc. VG09-193-2
SBIR Phases I and II supported by NASA/JSC: Dr. Carlton Allen; Dr. David McKay; Dr. Wendell Mendell (COTR)
Thermal Reactor with Optical Fiber Cables Physical Sciences Inc. VG09-193-3
Material Processing Container Physical Sciences Inc. VG09-193-4
Material Processing Experiment Physical Sciences Inc. VG09-193-5
Hydrogen reduction of iluminite: FeTiO3 + H2 → Fe + TiO2 + H2O @ 800 C ~ 1100 C
Material sample: Lunar soil simulant (JSC-1) containing 3 wt% of iluminite
Reaction detection: Absorption of a water line at 1.36 µm
Thermal Reactor Temperature versus Solar Power Physical Sciences Inc. VG09-193-6
Optical Fiber Cable (Inlet Optics and Optical Fiber) Cable Transmission (based on measurement data)
0.70
Solar Power System (Concentrator and Cable) Solar Power System Efficiency
0.6224 × 0.70 = 0.4357
Reactor Interface Optics Transmission of Interface Layer (calculated): note (v)
0.875
Solar Power System for Carbothermal Reactor Overall System Efficiency
(i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v)
0.4357 × 0.875 = 0.3812
Solar Power Delivery to Reactor (calculated)
880 × 2.387 × 0.3812 = 801 W
Solar Power Delivery to Reactor (measured)
795 W
excluding shadowed area Aluminum mirror protected Silver mirror a measure of focusing capability cooling water film between the fiber outlet and the quartz window/rod
Improvement Options Physical Sciences Inc. VG09-193-24
Current Ground-based Engineering System
Improvement for Ground-based Engineering System
Primary Mirror Reflectivity
0.91
0.95
Secondary Mirror Reflectivity
0.95
0.95
Intercept Factor
0.72
0.88
0.91 × 0.95 × 0.72 = 0.6224
0.95 × 0.95 × 0.88 = 0.7942
0.70
0.8
0.6224 × 0.70 = 0.4357
0.7942 × 0.8 = 0.6354
0.875
0.938
0.4357 × 0.875 = 0.3812
0.6354 × 0.938 = 0.596
Concentrator (Cassegrain Configuration)
Concentrator Efficiency Optical Fiber Cable (Inlet Optics and Optical Fiber) Cable Transmission Solar Power System (Concentrator and Cable) Solar Power System Efficiency Reactor Interface Optics Transmission of Interface Layer Solar Power System for Carbothermal Reactor Overall System Efficiency
Solar Thermal System for Oxygen Production: Summary Results and Current Status
Physical Sciences Inc.
VG09-193-25
• Solar thermal system based on the optical waveguide (OW) technology is viable and effective for oxygen production from lunar regolith • Solar thermal power is capable of heating the lunar regolith to the temperatures necessary for oxygen production • The ground based engineering system was built and is being tested with the carbothermal oxygen production reactor • Performance enhancement will be achieved by incremental improvement of system components
Acknowledgements Physical Sciences Inc. VG09-193-26
The programs reviewed in this paper were supported by: • •
NASA/JSC through SBIR Phase I and II (NNJ07JB26C and NNJ08JD44C, COTR: Mr. A. Paz); and NASA/GRC through SBIR Phase III (NNC08CA59C, COTR: Dr. A. Hepp).
The Phase I and II programs were conducted in collaboration with Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company (LMCO, Mr. L. Clark) and Orbital Technologies Corporation (ORBITEC, Mr. R. Gustafson).